Closure Is A Long Time Coming
by forensicsfan
Summary: Set 10 years after Warrick's death and a few years after the death of another CSI who breaks the case open. Now that the trial is over and the killer is behind bars, it's time for healing and perhaps a new development N/S .
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own them, I didn't create them, and I certainly don't profit from them

**Author's Note:** Admittedly I have been absent from the CSI world for a while, but this idea has been tapping itself on my shoulder and so I decided to just go with it. I have no idea how many chapters this will be, and I can't guarantee how often it will be updated, but I will try and make it as regular as possible given my penchant for writing Bones fictions these days. This is for all of my regular readers in the CSI fandom.

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Ten years seemed like a long time, but in reality it hadn't been long enough as Nick Stokes stood there with his hands shoved into the pockets of his jacket, the lines near his eyes a little deeper and his hair showing a smattering a gray that wasn't there ten years before. He glanced down, wishing for the countless time that he had been standing in line for a baseball game with his friend Warrick Brown instead of standing above his grave paying respects on the anniversary of his death.

Nick let out a frustrated sigh, "We got him, bro. You'd have been proud you know. Catherine was the one that figured it out and she wasn't about to let the bastard get away with it. She testified like she was on fire." He had suspected for a long time who had been responsible, but it had taken time for the evidence to surface; it hadn't been without more casualties though.

Six and a half years after Warrick had been shot point blank as he sat in his car in an alley right next to the diner that they frequented with every other cop in that part of Vegas, Gil Grissom had gotten a little too close to the evidence and had paid the ultimate price too. Of course the one thing that Under-Sheriff McKean hadn't counted on was that Grissom had been on a call with Catherine discussing a case and he'd set his phone down to answer the door. She'd heard the entire conversation that had preceded the shooting and if that hadn't been enough, Grissom had lived long enough to give Brass a statement.

Losing Warrick had been hell, and then losing Grissom as well had nearly sucked the life right out of all of them, but it had also given them a single-minded purpose and that they were finally going to get justice for their friends no matter how long it took. And it had taken a while; McKean had tried using every connection he had to delay the trial, but that had only worked for a while and no judge would let him out of jail because of the overwhelming evidence against him. The trial itself had gone on for quite a while, but in the end it was well worth the effort. It wasn't until Nick heard that familiar voice that he realized he wasn't the only one who had thought of coming to the cemetery.

"It's still hard to believe that they're gone," Sara Sidle stopped next to Nick. These last few years had been tumultuous. She and Grissom had never married and other than the stolen week here or there, they had continued their relationship long distance because she hadn't wanted to return to Vegas and he couldn't bring himself to leave. Strangely, it was his death that had brought her back; not to work as a CSI because she had carved out a career writing novels about the hellish things she'd seen, but because she wanted to make sure that both he and Warrick got justice.

"Yeah, I know," Nick glanced over at her, offering a teary smile. There were very few people that understood how he was feeling, but he knew without a doubt that Sara did. He took comfort from that, not because he wished for anyone to understand how he felt but that they could be there for each other and for Catherine, Greg and Brass.

"It's over, Nick," Sara slid her arms around him and pulled him into a hug and just stood there resting her head against his shoulder. In the midst of everything that had happened one thing that she could count on was Nick's friendship. She felt like they had walked through hell together and had come out the other side somehow stronger for it.

"Thank God," Nick held onto her; not for the first time did he consider that he wished that it had been him that had been lucky enough to have Sara's love the way Grissom had, but he hadn't even allowed himself to go there for a long time. Maybe now because enough time had passed or because there was finally closure in the murders of his two friends those feelings he'd made a profession out of shoving down had begun to resurface and for the first time in over ten years he felt like maybe it was ok to do something about it. As he released her he stepped back and gestured towards the parking lot, "Catherine said she was going to put some steaks on the grill...she could probably be convinced to throw a veggie burger on for you too."

"I'd like that," Sara knew that Catherine had made it her personal mission to make sure Under Sheriff McKean went down; she'd been the one that heard Gil get shot and she'd been the one that had called paramedics. If it hadn't been for her, they still might not know who was responsible. A celebration of sorts seemed appropriate on a day like today.

"I'll meet you there, then. I told her I'd stop and pick up some champagne," Nick explained wondering if Sara even knew how he'd been feeling about her and how she'd react when she found out. He wasn't going to shy away this time; life was too damn short and they had both had way too many reminders of that.

"I'm just going to go visit Gil's grave and I'll be there," Sara was glad that she was being included; the truth was after she'd left Vegas she wondered if her friendships with the others would remain intact, but she needn't have worried. When she'd come back, she'd been welcomed with open arms; arms that she had desperately needed to be able to move on after Grissom's death. They had all grown and maybe gotten a bit harder around the edges, but they all shared a bond that couldn't be broken and despite the tragedy, this was the only family she had now.

Nick impulsively leaned in and brushed his lips against her cheek; a gesture he'd certainly made before; his voice was thick with emotion as he pulled back, "Tell him that we got the bastard. Tell him that the evidence didn't let him down. He'd be glad about that." He would do right by Grissom and he would treat Sara right if he ever had the chance to know what it was like to be loved by her.

"I will," Sara's eyes shone brightly with unshed tears as she offered a smile and stepped purposefully toward the marker where Gil Grissom lay. It was strange as she finally stood in front of his grave. As much as she missed him and missed what they had together, she felt like her heart had finally healed and she had moved on. A soft smile stole over her face as she began to tell Grissom about the verdict in the trial and how they had fought for him and Warrick by using the evidence to tell the story. She stood there a few moments longer and then let out a sigh as she began to have a heart to heart; she knew that he would have wanted her to be happy; she knew that he would have wanted her to move on. She hoped that he would be pleased with where her heart seemed to be leading.

_**To be continued... **_


	2. Chapter 2

"So, Nicky, are you finally going to take that extended vacation you keep talking about?" Catherine Willows casually sipped a glass of champagne as she relaxed in one of the chairs around the table on her patio. The remnants of a celebratory dinner were all that was left as she, Nick, Sara, Jim Brass, and Greg Sanders lingered around the table. With both cases finally put to rest and McKean behind bars, it seemed that the one thing that had driven them for the last several years had finally pulled over and let them take a breather.

Nick ran his thumb along the neck of his beer looking at it thoughtfully for a moment as he carefully considered his words. He took one more swig and then set the bottle down on the table and glanced around at his friends, "Actually, I was thinking of something a little longer than a vacation." The implication was certainly there and he let it sink in for a moment as he picked up his beer and took another long pull.

"Longer than a vacation; you talking about early retirement, Nicky?" Jim Brass regarded the younger man with interest. There was a time that he thought Nick would never make CSI Level 3 let alone become nearly as driven as Gil Grissom. But time and a lot of pain had caught them in its wake and Nick was a decidedly much more mature; more serious man than he was before.

Nick let out a soft chuckle, "Well I sure as hell ain't gonna wait until they make me retire." It was a soft jab at a man that he had a great deal of admiration for. Jim Brass still had a few years before he was technically retirement age, but given what he'd been through over the years no one at all would have blamed him for checking out and buying a fishing boat to tool around the Bahamas in.

"You don't have to decide anything right away you know," Catherine interjected. As his boss she certainly didn't want to lose someone like Nick on her team, but as his friend she knew that time off, a change of scenery and maybe even a career change would be the best thing to restore some of that happy-go-lucky outlook on life he used to have.

"Quitting was the best thing I ever did," Sara offered and then quickly added, "For me that is. I think if I'd stayed in the trenches any longer it wouldn't have ended well at all." She was sure that had she stayed in Vegas she would have ended up making Ecklie's prediction about her true – a loaded gun just itching for an accident. Only she was sure that she would have been the only casualty. As it was, now that Grissom and Warrick had finally gotten justice she was thinking that maybe it was time to head back to California or maybe somewhere else that she'd never been. Vegas, while it held the people that she regarded as her family, it also held most of the pain she'd experienced outside of her own biological family.

"You were a damn good CSI, Sara," Greg smiled; he had fond memories of getting to be trained by Sara and getting to know her better. At first it had been because he had a crush on her, but as he had gotten to know her, he realized that she was a very good person to have for a friend and it became pretty clear to him that regardless of whether it was ever going to go anywhere that she had a thing for Grissom.

"For someone who isn't even a CSI anymore, you sure haven't lost your investigative skills," Nick offered her a mega watt smile; she had been just as driven as they had after Grissom had been murdered and the fact that she was willing to come back to the one place she had thought she couldn't return to ensure that her friends got justice spoke volumes about the fact that part of her would always be a CSI.

"But we're done now," Sara spoke softly and raised her glass, gesturing at the others sitting around the table. She was going to enjoy this day as much as she could and tomorrow she was going to have to think long and hard about what she wanted from her future. She knew for certain that Vegas wasn't part of it; but that didn't mean that she was ready quite yet to let go of these people.

"Yes, we are," Catherine agreed with a smile. They had all worked hard and now she hoped that this was behind them and that she could enjoy the fact that her daughter had been accepted to UCLA medical school; her daughter that had given her so many ups and downs. She was proud and she deserved to be.

Greg was the first one to call it a day, "I'd better get going before Melissa wonders if I'm leaving her to put the kids to bed." The last person anyone would have expected to become a family man had; Greg had met Melissa on a blind date and they had hit it off so well that they had pretty much become inseparable after that. They had dated exactly four months, three weeks, and five days before they'd gotten married in grand Vegas style at one of the chapels on the strip. That had been a little over six years ago and they'd started a family a little sooner than they'd planned, but Greg was a happy man and if anyone asked him he wouldn't trade it for anything.

"We'll catch you later then, Greggo," Nick exchanged a firm handshake with Greg as the younger man got up from the table. They'd become good friends over the years; not the same kind of friend that Warrick was, but still a good friend.

As Catherine returned from walking Greg to the door, Sara glanced around the table, "I'm glad it's over. I'm not sure I could have handled this if it had gone on much longer." She'd been living in Grissom's townhouse; he'd put her name on the deed shortly after they'd decided that this thing between them was serious – she'd never expected to inherit it. But without him there and knowing that it was really time for her to move on, she just didn't feel like she wanted to stay there.

"You going to stick around Vegas, Sara?" Catherine had been surprised that she'd come back at all even in light of Gil's death. She'd had more than a few conversations with Grissom about the conflict between his desire to stay and Sara's reluctance to coming back. Somehow after this case was wrapped up, she just didn't imagine that Sara would be around for very long at all.

"I haven't really decided what I'm going to do," She let out a sigh and then smiled at her friends. There was plenty of time to figure that all out in the next few days. Right now she just wanted to live in the moment and not think about what the next day held.

Nick looked at her thoughtfully; he hadn't really considered what he'd do if she left. Sara had been a pretty constant since Grissom had been killed and he'd gotten used to her nearly day to day presence. Clearly he was going to have to think this one through or he was going to miss out on possibly the only chance he had to let her know how he was feeling. He offered a smile when she gave him a curious look because of the downward turn of his mouth, "You'll do the thing that's right for you."

"I know what I'm going to do," Brass had a sardonic smile on his face as he let out a low chuckle and then glanced around the table, "I think I deserve a little time off; maybe on a Mexican beach," his voice lowered to a conspiratorial whisper, "Don't worry, I'll leave the Speedo at home." He winked and let out a hearty laugh as the rest of them let out a groan at the visual image that comment stirred.

"I think we all deserve a break," Catherine agreed, not that it was going to necessarily happen all at once. She'd been toying with taking early retirement herself, that is until Lindsey had been accepted to UCLA; sure she had the inheritance from Sam, but she didn't want to have to worry about pinching pennies when she was sixty-five either, medical school wasn't cheap.

Nick raised his beer, "To finding closure – it's been a long time coming," he smiled as they all clinked drinks, "And to new beginnings – may the future hold better things than any of us could imagine." He knew that this was a turning point for all of them so he was going to relish this moment. Yes, tonight they would celebrate the close of this very painful chapter in their lives and tomorrow they would look forward.


	3. Chapter 3

"So you're donating them," Nick had stopped by the townhouse that Gil Grissom used to live in and where Sara had been living since she'd come back to Vegas. Not much at all had changed, save the few more homey touches Sara had put on the place. Until today that is. Today, Sara seemed intent on packing up things that in the long term just served to remind them all that Grissom wasn't coming back. The mounted specimens that decorated the walls were being carefully packed in boxes that Sara intended to donate to the entomology department at some university – he assumed that it was where ever Grissom had gotten his doctorate.

"I've kept a few that I have a personal fondness for, but the rest of these I think are better suited as a teaching tool," Sara's smile dipped just a bit as she looked at her friend. The lines around his eyes were tired and he seemed to be wrestling with something as he stood there in his faded jeans and t-shirt; she'd been glad for the company when he'd unexpectedly stopped by, but now she wondered why he looked so conflicted.

Nick had noticed other boxes as he'd been welcomed in and he felt a sense of urgency that he tried to quell just a bit, "So are you packing up everything?" He didn't want to ask if she was leaving Vegas for good or just leaving for a while, but somehow he knew that once the trial was over and McKean was behind bars for the rest of his natural life that she had no reason to stay.

Sara stopped what she was doing and looked at Nick; she sensed that there was a moment in time here that was going to alter their friendship in some way and she wasn't sure if that was good or bad. She felt her lips pull into a hint of smile, "I just have too many memories here; I'm not sure if I'm going to put it up for sale or just rent it out, but I can't really stay here anymore, Nicky." She could tell that he understood, but still there was a question in his eyes that she couldn't quite decipher.

"Where are you headed?" He knew that when she said she couldn't stay there that it wasn't the townhouse that she was talking about. He had waited this long to be completely honest with himself about how he felt about Sara Sidle and he didn't want to miss out on the right moment to tell her himself. What good were feelings this deep if you kept them to yourself?

"I haven't really decided yet. I mean with my writing it would make sense to be either in LA or New York," She smirked, "Can't say that I'm a fan of New York though; not when I enjoy surfing very badly and LA is so much closer."

Nick let out a soft chuckle at the image in his mind of Sara wiping out on a surfboard and suddenly he wanted to see that firsthand, "So LA then." He still hadn't gotten around to the reason he'd stopped by, seeing all of the boxes spread around had distracted him.

"Probably," Sara studied him for along moment, "So what about you, Nick? Are you taking that long vacation or are you going to call it quits?" She had seen how serious he had become over the years even before she'd left Vegas; the years after Warrick and Grissom were murdered had made him even more so.

Nick should have known that Sara would figure it out; he cracked a smile and let out a sigh, "I'm taking early retirement. I have no idea what I'm going to do, but I want out before I turn into a bitter old man." He was sure he would become exactly that if he stayed in this business and that was what had ultimately helped him to make his decision. He wanted a life with a lot more joy and happiness and seeing other people's darkest moments on a daily basis certainly wasn't going to help accomplish that.

"I'd hate to see you bitter," Sara was completely serious. Of all of the people that she had known in her life, Nick seemed to represent the hope that you could go through hell and come out unscathed. The thought of the possibility that he could be bitter made her realize just how jaded this profession could make you. She was suddenly grateful that she had gotten out when she did.

"I'd hate to see it too," Nick smirked at her and let out a chuckle. So much uncertainty stood in that room right then and he felt his expression falter a little as he considered whether he had already missed his chance.

"Do you know what you're going to do?" Sara was sure that whatever Nick ended up doing that he would do it well – he had talents that went far beyond investigating crime scenes; at one time he made toys in a workshop in his garage.

"Well I know that I'm definitely _not_ going back to Texas," He had made that very clear once he'd informed his parents that he was taking early retirement that he wasn't coming back home; he'd made his own life in Vegas and he'd make his way again wherever he ended up. Right now, LA looked like a very promising place to consider.

Sara looked a little surprised, "Are you thinking about leaving Vegas?" Somehow she had counted on these people always being here if she came back. Catherine would never leave Vegas; she was born and raised here and Greg and his wife had carved out a nice life for themselves; she'd always assumed that Nick would stay too. Not knowing where he was headed left her feeling something she couldn't quite put her finger on and it was unsettling.

"You said it yourself; this place has too many memories," Nick studied her for a moment as he continued, "As long as I stay here, there are things I'm going to remember around every corner and even though we've put McKean behind bars, I don't want to spend the rest of my career wondering if I should be looking over my shoulder." As much as they knew that they had the right man behind bars, his association with the mob had deep roots. He wanted a life that resembled something close to normal and if he stayed here there was no way he was ever going to get that; at least if he left there was still the possibility that existed out there.

Sara wondered if the reason that he'd stopped by was to say goodbye and she found herself fighting back a wave of emotion, managing to keep her voice steady, "Where are you going to go?"

"I haven't quite decided yet," He flashed her one of his megawatt smiles, "Although I hear that LA has pretty good surfing." Clearly his implication was there if she wanted to pick up on it or read into it. He certainly didn't want to chase her if he wasn't welcome, but if there was any hope at all that she might be willing to consider taking things beyond the bounds of their friendship he wasn't going to hesitate to follow her there.

Sara was surprised at how bright her tone was, "You should; come to LA that is." She hoped she didn't sound desperate; she wasn't desperate. She had simply just realized that the idea that Nick Stokes being in LA was an extremely welcome idea.

Nick felt a rush that felt ridiculous at his age, but he didn't care, "You wouldn't mind if I happened to be around a lot…I mean if you were there too. In LA that is." He had unintentionally hung his heart out on his sleeve and he hoped that he hadn't misinterpreted her enthusiasm.

"I would like that," Sara felt a smile spreading across her face to the point that she felt like she was smiling far too much. She wondered if he truly was following _her_ or if he just wanted to go somewhere that he knew he had a friend, but either way the idea of being able to see him on a regular basis made her happy.


	4. Chapter 4

It had been two months since Nick had helped Sara move to LA, but it had taken him that long to get his own place packed up and on the market to be sold. He knew that he was taking a huge risk by not having a safety net for himself to come back to if what he hoped would happen between he and Sara never materialized. He'd had plenty of time to think about whether he was making one of the craziest mistakes of his entire life by ruining a very good friendship, but then he'd get a call from Sara asking him how he was and whether he was really still moving to LA. She sounded excited about him coming out there and while he still hadn't come out and told her how he was feeling about her, all of the signs were there that he should just go ahead and take the plunge. So here he was finally leaving Vegas and a long chapter in his life behind in his rearview mirror.

A little over five hours and a couple of stops along the way, he pulled his truck into the driveway of the townhouse Sara had settled herself into. He had to let out a soft chuckle at the butterflies he felt swirling around in his belly; he felt more like a sixteen year old than the forty-something he really was at the prospect that it was time to put his heart out there and see what happened. He'd barely climbed out from behind the wheel of his truck when a smiling Sara emerged through the front door and down the steps.

"Nick, I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to get here," Sara hoped that she didn't sound overly excited, but the reality was that she was _very_ excited. She had promised that she'd help him look for a place of his own, but she had to admit to herself that if it took a while that she was happy to have the company.

"Hey, Sar," A mega-watt grin spread out across Nick's face and he found himself enveloping Sara into a bear hug. There was just something that felt so right being here with here and he only hoped that this risk paid off.

"I'm glad you're here," Sara hugged him a little longer than was probably necessary and as she pulled away she couldn't help but return the smile he was still wearing. Something had definitely shifted between them somewhere along the line, but it still wasn't exactly clear where it was going to end up.

"LA looks good on you," Nick commented as he walked with her into the townhouse. She looked far more relaxed than she had when she'd left Vegas and he was glad now that he'd given her time and space to get settled into her life before he intruded on it.

"Well, it's a different life; I think you'll like it too," She didn't have to mention to him that seeing death and mayhem on a daily basis did something to your perspective on things. Despite the fact that she'd carved out a career for herself recounting some of those things in novels, she'd gained a peace by separating herself from the reality of it.

Of all of the things that Nick expected to find in Sara's new place, another man was certainly not one of them and he was taken aback at the sight of a well muscled blond man sitting on Sara's couch looking entirely too comfortable for his taste. Had he misread all of the signals that he thought Sara was sending out? Or was he simply jumping to conclusions. The retired CSI in him reigned in the jealously that was rearing its ugly head and he offered a smile and his hand as the other man glanced up and smiled, "Nick Stokes."

"Erik Gibson, I live next door," Erik shook Nick's hand warmly as he stood up and then glanced over at Sara, "I think we're all set, see you later on then." He smiled again and then leaned over and kissed Sara on the cheek before heading for the front door.

"Nice to meet you," Nick felt a sinking feeling in his gut; maybe if he hadn't wasted two months he might have had a chance with Sara, now Mr. Perfect from next door seemed to already have a foot in the door. Well, if that was the case, he was just going to be thankful for the friendship he had with Sara, even if he had to kid himself that he was fine with it for a while. He cleared his throat about to say something when he noticed the flush of Sara's cheeks.

As the door closed behind Erik, Sara felt a little flustered. She most certainly hadn't envisioned this scenario the moment Nick walked into her place. She felt the need to clarify what had just happened, but felt the words fumbling out, "Uh, Erik lives next door."

"I got that," Nick smirked, the pink in her cheeks either meant that his heart was about to take a nosedive or that he had read her signals dead on and she felt the need to explain.

"With his _boyfriend_, Carlos," There it was, out there, hopefully a nice neutral way of telling Nick that he had absolutely nothing to worry about – that is if he was worried about something in the first place. She sank down onto the couch and smiled.

"Carlos?" The wattage on Nick's smile increased by several degrees, if Erick was with Carlos then he was just a really, really good neighbor. That was just the kind of neighbor that Sara needed, a nice gay neighbor with no romantic intentions towards the woman that he had picked up his life and moved to pursue – even if maybe she wasn't quite aware of it just yet. Nick sank into the couch next to her and felt relief washing over him even as those proverbial butterflies in his stomach started to swirl again.

"Yes, Carlos and Erik have been wonderful since I moved in – sometimes you just need an extra hand with things. Like setting up the bed in the guest room for you for example," Sara knew that Nick would have been more than happy to help her with it, but she had wanted everything put together before he got there.

"I could have helped with that, Sar. It's the least I could do for letting me crash here while I look for my own place," Nick couldn't help but nudge her with his elbow. He was glad to just be back in the same place as she was.

"But you're a guest, I wanted it to be..." She was about to say perfect but she didn't want to give away too much, "ready." That sounded much better.

"Thank you," Nick found himself looking into her eyes, those eyes of hers that she probably wasn't even aware had the ability to turn his heart to goo.

"I'm glad to have you here," Sara offered in return, noticing the crinkles around Nick's eyes; crinkles that showed how much he smile and belied all of the hellish things he'd been through in his life.

"I hope you still feel that way by the time I find my own place," Nick let out a soft chuckle. He didn't think that he was all that hard to live with, but then again, he'd lived alone for so long, he wasn't sure what kind of roommate he'd be. And then there was the fact that Sara was a certifiable neat freak that made your average neat freak seem like a slob by comparison. He surmised that years of being a CSI and knowing way too much about bacteria and other nasty things was only partially responsible, the rest of it was all Sara.

Sara heard the words come out before she could engage a little restraint to filter them, "I'm actually excited that you're here; I've been looking forward to it."

"I've been looking forward to it too," Nick felt his heart beating a little bit faster. He was sure now that he'd been reading the signals loud and clear, but he wasn't sure that now was the time to act on them. Well not this minute anyway. Now that he was here in LA if he didn't make a move he was a complete idiot.

Sara glanced away and cleared her throat, "So I hope you don't mind, but I organized a barbecue with a few friends to welcome you to LA." She was only glad that Erik had gone home because before Nick had arrived he'd been quizzing her about this friend of hers from Vegas that he had correctly guessed that was probably a lot more than _just_ a friend.

"So that's what Erik meant by later," Nick had that boyish grin on his face; he felt flattered that Sara had gone to the trouble to do anything for him and he hoped that this barbecue would give him the opportunity to garner his courage to test the waters with her.

"Yes, uh, since I'm a vegetarian and I know how much you like a good steak I thought it would be a good idea to consult someone who knows how to cook one – Erik is a chef, so he assured me that he'd take care of it," Sara felt like she was babbling a bit; something that was a sure sign that her feelings for Nick went far deeper than simple friendship.

Nick leaned a little further into the couch and casually slung an arm across the back of it, hoping he didn't seem too much like a teenage boy on a first date trying to make a move on his girl, "So how many people are coming to this shindig?"

Sara found herself drifting just a little bit closer, "Well Erik and Carlos of course, Emily and Jack are the neighbors on the other side and then my publicist Naomi and a few other people that I knew when I lived here before." Ok, so the few others was more like ten, but he didn't have to know that until everyone started showing up.

"Sounds like fun; I'm looking forward to it," Nick grinned and let his arm slide down and wrap around her shoulders. As he felt her lean into him a little he felt his stomach flip; this moment seemed absolutely perfect.


	5. Chapter 5

"You don't have to help me clean up," Despite her protests, Sara smiled and handed Nick a plate to dry. The barbecue had gone well, the last of the guest having left a little over an hour ago, and in true Sara fashion she couldn't bring herself to go to bed until everything had been put back in order. Well, honestly, that and she couldn't bring herself to go to bed now that Nick was here and there was plenty of catching up to do. It seemed that all of her friends were interested in knowing exactly who Nick was and at least some of them weren't all that subtle about quizzing him about why he'd moved to LA. However, she had observed that the investigator in him was a master at dodging the eventual question and for that she was glad. Whatever it was that was going to happen between them needed to be discussed between the two of them first.

"Let me earn my keep," Nick let out a chuckle and shook his head as he skillfully dried the plate, "Trust me, I have _years_ of practice doing this." His mother had certainly enlisted the help of all of her children and somehow his sisters had managed to get him to do more than his fair share.

"Thank you," Sara couldn't help the fluttering sensation that she felt just being near him and part of her was both excited and worried. Excited that he was really here and that things seemed to be headed in exactly the direction that she thought it was and worried because there was just that sliver of doubt that wondered if she had read far more into the situation than just a good friend seeking out another good friend to help him find his way in a new city.

Nick accepted another plate to dry, "I should thank you; the barbecue was fun," He wasn't going to go into detail about the questions that Erik and Carlos in particular had peppered him with while he was waiting for his steak to grill. He felt good that Sara had made such good friends who seemed to be so concerned with her wellbeing and that they would be more than happy to help some guy hit the road if he got out of hand.

"I wanted to do that once when Gil came out to visit when I was living up further north," Sara froze for just a second; here she was mentioning Grissom when she was trying to give off signals that if Nick was interested she was more than open to going down that road with him. She quickly recovered, "But he didn't seem like he would have enjoyed it."

"That's Grissom for you," Nick offered her a genuine smile; he had no expectation that she was going to ever forget about Gil Grissom – he had been a part of her life for a very long time and she loved him. It was only natural that she would want to talk about him. "Although, I have a feeling that the reason that he wouldn't have enjoyed a barbecue like tonight was because he probably just wanted to have you all to himself." He winked at her and took another dish from her hands to dry.

Sara laughed.

"Can't say as I blame him," Nick's tone was soft but not really very tentative. He had decided during the barbecue that he was going to do his best to come clean with Sara and let her know exactly what his intentions were. If she rebuffed him or kicked him out to live in a hotel until he found his own place he was confident that while there would be a slight dent in their friendship but that they'd overcome it. But he couldn't live with himself if he didn't put himself out there and try and see if she just might return the feelings he'd been harboring for a long time.

Sara's cheeks tinged pink and she found herself trying to swallow a smile that had already spread across her face and staked out a claim. She should be used to Nick flirting with her; they'd been shamefully flirting with each other for years, even when she was with Grissom. But somehow, this felt different and she was more than ok with it.

"You're a pretty special woman, Sara. I always wondered why Grissom didn't just leave Vegas behind...although I think I'd have to understand Grissom to get the answer to that question," He let out a soft chuckle; his comment wasn't judgmental or malicious, it was simply a statement that Gil Grissom was an enigma and he had been driven by far more in his life than just the love for a woman. The fact that he'd been able to have both had probably been enough for him.

Sara found herself smiling softly as she let her memories wander for a moment and as she turned towards Nick, handing him the last of the dishes to dry, she rested her hip against the counter, "He offered, Nick; I didn't want him to move. I think that I knew that if he gave up what he had in Vegas that he would have eventually wanted to go back." At the quizzical expression that he offered, she continued, "What we had worked for us."

Nick lapsed into silence; in the selfish part of his mind he thought that Sara had deserved more, but he knew that she was right. Whether or not the situation had been what Grissom thought he wanted; Sara had been happy with it. He knew that for a fact and he was glad that she'd enjoyed a chapter in her life with someone that he knew that she truly loved. He couldn't help wondering if her heart was open to letting someone else love her too. Nick's brow was furrowed as he turned and faced her, the last dish finally tucked into the dish rack, "I wish he hadn't died." Grissom had been his mentor and his friend and he missed him a lot; he could only imagine what it had been like for Sara. He imagined it was something a lot worse than him losing his best friend in Warrick.

"It was his day," There were no tears in her eyes even though the remembrance of it turned the corners of her mouth downward in a sad expression. She knew that death was an eventuality for all of them, "It was a horrible way to go, but it was his day and he helped us solve Warrick's murder." At least his death had held purpose; that was something that she had hung onto for comfort when nothing else had helped.

"I miss them both," To so many other people, he put on a brave front, but he and Sara had always been able to talk and be real with each other. There was an ease here that he couldn't force and he was glad that he didn't have to.

"I do too," Sara smiled and then she leaned in towards him and slipped her arms around his waist, letting out a sigh as she felt him wrap his arms around her too. This just felt right and she just wanted to stand here for a few minutes and just hold on. Life was so damn short that if Nick didn't say something soon, she was going to herself to let him know that she hoped that he hadn't moved all the way to LA just to pal around.

Nick found his words leaving his mouth of their own volition as he closed his eyes and enjoyed holding Sara, "This is nice."

Sara felt a smile starting and she let out a soft chuckle, "I'm glad you think so." She was beginning to think that she wasn't going to have to be the one to say something after all.

"I'm glad that you're glad because I have a bit of a confession to make," Nick wasn't sure why but the swirl of butterflies in his stomach had started up again and multiplied if that was even possible.

"What are you confessing to?" Sara loosened her hold a little without actually letting go and tilted her head back a little so that she could read his expression. She felt a wad of nerves unfurling itself like a giant flag even though she was nearly one hundred percent sure where he was going with this.

Nick held her gaze for a moment and he felt himself wavering just a bit, but as he saw the curve of her smile, he felt a surge of confidence and he plunged ahead, "I really want to kiss you, Sara."


	6. Chapter 6

Nick felt like time had stopped for a moment or at the very least had slowed down and he could feel each pulse of his heart as he waited for Sara to do something; to say something so he would know that he hadn't just made the biggest mistake of his life.

There was a mischievous twinkle in Sara's eyes as she regarded this man who had become one of the best friends she'd ever had. Somehow this shift between them had felt natural and she was so glad that things had slowly blossomed until this moment just seemed like a foregone conclusion, "You do, huh?"

"Yes, I do," Nick couldn't miss the expression on her face and it caused a mega watt grin to cascade out and spread across his face as he felt relief and anticipation wash over him. This was a good feeling; he had known Sara long enough that he knew she would have kicked him out by now if she didn't want this too.

"How about _I_ kiss _you_ instead?" Sara remarked as she leaned into him once more. As much as she wanted to kiss him, she hesitated for a fraction of a second as she studied his features. Life had brought more lines to his face and his hair had hints of gray, but he was still Nick and somehow that was not just enough, it was perfect.

"Or we could just meet somewhere in the middle," Nick chuckled softly and dipped his head to do what he'd been dreaming about for years. As his lips connected with hers he felt her sigh against his mouth and his mind was aware that her lips were soft and supple under his. This first kiss wasn't full of passion, but it had certainly started a slow smolder that left him wanting quite a bit more; he only hoped that Sara felt the same.

Sara's lips tingled as he pulled away and she glanced up at him with a contented expression and maybe a little bit of trepidation too; what if this kiss didn't measure up, or worse, what if he felt nothing? She needn't have worried because he quickly leaned in and kissed her again. Yes, there was definitely something here; she was feeling it all the way down to her toes. It had been since Grissom had been killed that she'd let anyone in close enough to want to kiss them and right now this felt like a little bit of heaven to just be trading slow deep kisses with Nick Stokes in her kitchen.

He did not want to screw this up and so he just enjoyed the phenomenon of kissing Sara, of Sara kissing him, of the way her fingers felt as they slid through the hair at the nape of his neck, and oh how good she felt in his arms.

They finally pulled apart and Sara still had her arms draped over his shoulders; the question was there just begging to be asked, "I'm really glad you brought that up, or I was going to have to say something."

Nick laughed and pulled her in against him, "If I had known you'd be so receptive, I might have done that a while ago." How long ago he wasn't about to confess right this minute, but he'd go ahead and let her think that it had been however long she wanted to think it was. He would fill her in on the rest maybe when they were a lot older and much grayer; at least his heart hoped that he might get that chance.

"So you moved here because you wanted to see what might happen, huh?" Sara knew him; it wasn't all that much of a surprise to her when he announced that he was going to move to LA too that this was what was on his mind. However, she hadn't wanted to jump to conclusions either – being a CSI had taught her that you had to wait for all of the evidence, but sometimes even all the evidence couldn't trump a confession.

"Yes, I did," There was no need to deny it or to beat around the bush; it was true and he was more than happy to let her know that he would have followed her to the ends of the earth if it had meant that he'd get a moment like this one. Well maybe he'd let her know that eventually. While he tended to wear his heart on his sleeve, he didn't want to overwhelm her in the first few minutes of this new phase of their relationship.

"I'm glad," Sara leaned in and hugged him, just enjoying the feel of being in his arms. She had no idea where this thing was going to go between them, but she couldn't help but feel that neither one of them was going to go anywhere without the other anytime soon. She was happy; for the first time since Gil had been stolen from her too soon, she felt truly happy.

Nick's laugh reverberated through his chest, "Sara Sidle, you knew even before I said anything, didn't you?" Of course she knew; she knew him.

"Maybe I did, but I wasn't going to assume anything," Sara replied with a smirk. They both laughed for a moment and then Sara's face took on a more serious expression, "We've known each other for years, Nicky, it isn't like we _don't_ know each other."

Nick couldn't resist, he leaned in and kissed her again just because he could. This was exactly where he wanted to be. Taking early retirement and taking a huge step into the unknown was the best thing he'd ever done. At least at the moment it sure seemed to be.

"Ok, so maybe we don't know each other as well as we'd like to," Sara's smirk was coupled with a bit of a chuckle as they finally broke off the kiss and it occurred to her that she didn't want to spend the entire night standing in her kitchen when there were other places that were a lot more comfortable.

They stayed up nearly all night talking; catching up and just recounting stories that they hadn't thought of in years. It seemed that now that they both knew they wanted to be with the other that neither one of them was in any hurry to move away from where they'd settled themselves on the sectional in Sara's living room. There was a definite line that was there to be crossed even further, but somehow neither one of them was in a hurry to get there; the conversation seemingly more intimate somehow than the physical intimacy that they were sure they'd get to eventually. Not that they didn't spend a considerable time making good use of the sectional to make out like teenagers, but it seemed like if they broached the subject of the sleeping arrangements for the night that it would just break the moment and neither of them seemed willing to do that.

So this was how Nick found himself tangled up on the couch with Sara sprawled all over him as the light broke through her slider door very early; intent on blinding him. It took him a moment to get his bearings but as he saw Sara's hair fanned out across the fabric of his t-shirt where she'd fallen asleep, he couldn't help but smile. What he wouldn't do to wake up with a Sara blanket everyday.

"Nicky," Sara mumbled as she felt movement and her eyes flickered open only to find the sun interrogating her. She let out a bit of a groany-growl, "Shit, I should have closed the blinds."

"It was dark earlier," Nick mumbled realizing that stating the obvious wasn't going to change the fact that either one of them needed to get up and close the blinds or they just needed to get up.

Sara offered up a third option, "Let's get up and go to bed." Staying up all night when you were in college was one thing, but doing it in your mid-forties was completely another and she needed more sleep. It occurred to her for them to get up that she was going to have to get up first.

Nick wasn't going to argue; a bed sounded like a wonderful thing; a bed where there was no light and where he could get more sleep. As Sara pulled herself up off of him she shot him a curious look. He furrowed his brow, "What?"

"Are you coming or did you want to stay out here all alone?" Sara was probably being far more open than she might have been with a full night's sleep, but she didn't really care. Sleep and Nick sounded like a little bit of heaven.

"No, coming," Nick's mind started whirring to life as he realized that she was implying that he should come with her to her bed. He didn't have to be asked twice.


	7. Chapter 7

The sun had long since risen high in the sky when Sara stretched out languidly like a cat intent on simply rolling back over and resuming its nap. A sleepy smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as her eyes came to rest on Nick who was still sound asleep, mouth agape, letting out little snores. His jeans lay pooled on the floor near the bed where he'd shucked them off as he'd followed her into bed earlier that morning, leaving him adorned in his t-shirt and his boxer-briefs that Sara observed made him look both sexy and rumpled. The hint of drool around the corner of his mouth just seemed to emphasize rumpled though and Sara couldn't hold back a soft giggle.

Nick snorted as if something had interrupted a snore and then he seemed to furrow his brow trying to regain the peaceful sleepy state he'd just been enjoying. His hips shifted a bit as he rolled onto his side unknowingly right towards Sara so that they were nearly nose to nose.

Being this close to Nick and being able to study him at her leisure, Sara couldn't help but take notice that over the years, more lines had gathered around the corners of his eyes and that despite seeing a glimpse of hell everyday through work, the lines were more from laughing and smiling rather than holding onto a stoic expression. She admired him for the ease that seemed to come to him, but she knew that he just like she had things that they had buried deep that they would always carry around with them. She was just glad that he had finally left the life of a CSI behind so that maybe he could step out and enjoy the sunshine that a different life seemed to offer.

Maybe it was the sensation of warm puffs of air hitting his mouth or the feeling that someone was staring, but in any case, Nick gradually began to wake up and a smile twitched his mouth even as his eyes stayed closed at the realization of exactly where he was, "Morning, Sar."

"Hey," Sara leaned in and pressed her lips against his.

Nick responded by snaking his arm out around her waist and pulling her closer; it was quite a few moments later when he pulled back and offered her a sigh and a smile, "Nice way to wake up." In the back of his mind he considered what he wouldn't give to be able to do this everyday for the rest of his life.

Sara smiled back, "I could get used to this." She hadn't intended to put her heart all the way out there, but the reality was that too much life had already passed her by and somehow she knew that with Nick his heart was already out there too.

"I'm not sure I _want_ to get used to it; I'm still finding it pretty amazing," Nick's smile grew a bit wider and he leaned in for another kiss. This time it was a little hungrier, a little clearer as to exactly what he found amazing about the whole situation. They had talked about so many things the night before but hadn't really clarified where things between them were headed, but for some reason it seemed that they both already knew.

Sara was a bit breathless when they broke off the kiss. Somehow they'd become a tangle of arms and legs, hers having been hooked over Nick's hip; clearly they were racing towards that last line to cross. She leaned in for another kiss, but was a little surprised at how chaste it was and her disappointment showed.

Nick offered a sheepish grin, "I'm gonna have to go hit the bathroom."

Sara let out a soft chuckle, yes, the morning was beginning to send inconvenient signals her body too; ones that if not dealt with were going to interfere with where she hoped this was leading, "I think that sounds like a great idea…I'll use this one and there's one down the hall."

"Meet you back here in a few minutes?" Nick asked, hoping he didn't sound overly excited at the prospect of what he hoped was to come.

"Yeah," Sara grinned right back. If she timed this right, she might even be able to brush her teeth, or at the very least, gargle with a little mouthwash. Not that Nick had complained about her breath, but she was sure that it couldn't be good.

"Alright then," Nick hoped that he could find his toothbrush quickly; he'd dreamed of this moment for quite some time and now that it seemed to imminently be on the horizon, he didn't want her to look back and remember it with a puff of morning breath. By the time Nick took care of business, found his toothbrush, hastily made good use of it, and made it back down the hallway to Sara's bedroom, it seemed that she had beat him there.

"Took you long enough," There was a mischievous grin on Sara's face as she regarded the man looking at her with a very hopeful expression.

"Didn't take you long at all," The irony of stereotypical gender bathroom time being flip-flopped wasn't lost on either of them as Nick just stood there and drank in the image of Sara curled up in the sheets. The realization that she didn't seem to be wearing what she had on earlier hit him about the same time something hit him in the chest.

"Get over here, Stokes," Sara grinned as she watched Nick glance down and realize that the clothes she'd been wearing earlier were now at his feet. A smile spread across his face as it registered that all that was between him and her was that sheet she was curled up in and Sara couldn't help but feel a fluttering anticipation in her belly at what was to come.

Nick peeled his t-shirt off and as gracefully as his forty-something body could manage, he launched himself at the bed. He was beyond excited and as he scooted closer to her, he eagerly leaned in and kissed her.

His kiss was a welcome relief from the uncertainty that had been before he'd left Vegas for LA and after his confession last night that he had moved here to be near her; to see what might happen between them she was thrilled that this step was right here, right now. Before too long, Nick's boxer-briefs joined his t-shirt on the floor as he joined Sara underneath the sheets. And then bliss, sweet bliss.


	8. Chapter 8

**Epilogue**

**Set 2 Years, Six Months, and 23 Days Later:**

"So what do you say?" Nick had that look on his face that was a mixture of vulnerability, hope and maybe even a little begging, "Will you make an honest man out of me?" He waited for Sara to say something and it felt like a small eternity until she did.

Sara smiled widely with a slightly amused twitch in the corner of her mouth as she regarded him over the vegetables she was chopping up in their kitchen, "Nick, you are the most _honest_ man I know." After that first night, they'd never even bothered to go look for another place for Nick to live. They reasoned that the purpose of dating was to get to know someone and see if you were compatible; they already knew even before that first kiss that they were more than compatible and so the idea of living together without so much as a first official date didn't phase either one of them; although it didn't exactly thrill Nick's parents at first.

Nick laughed and made his way around the island in the large kitchen, "Thank you for the compliment, Sar, but you didn't answer my question."

"I don't think that I actually _heard_ a question," Sara smirked; she knew exactly what he was getting at, but she wasn't going to make it easy on him. She fully intended to spend the rest of her life with him whether or not they ever got married; but if he wanted to marry her, he was going to have to ask.

Nick deadpanned as he quirked an eyebrow in her direction, "You know that I love you, don't you?" He told her often enough that if she didn't know it by now they were in real trouble.

"And I love you," Sara's eyes twinkled with mischief as she set down the knife she was chopping the vegetables with and gave him her full attention.

"And I want to be with you the rest of my life," Nick added; this was something he'd been saying with more and more frequency as if the more he said it the more it would convince her of something that he wasn't completely sure she wanted – the idea of permanence. His fear came from the fact that although she had been with Grissom for a very long time, they had never gotten married.

"Good, because I intend to be with you the rest of _my_ life," Sara replied with a smirk even though deep down she could feel a swelling of emotion at just how much she loved this man and how much he seemed to love her too. Once she had gotten past the hurdle that Nick was ok with the fact that it was likely that children were never going to be in the future for them, she realized that it hadn't been as much of an issue for him as she thought it would be. She had always assumed that he needed that as part of a package deal, but the reality was, he just wanted to be with her in whatever form that took.

Nick leaned in and softly kissed her and then pulled back, looking into her eyes, "I want you to marry me, Sara, make me an honest man so that the whole world knows that I want to be with you forever – so that no one is ever going to question how much I love you." That particular issue had come up shortly after they had gotten together and his parents had come out for a visit. Not that his parents didn't like Sara, they adored her; they just thought that he wasn't being the kind of man they raised him to be by fully committing himself to her. That of course was a load of crap; the fact was that he was afraid that Sara didn't believe in marriage and so he'd waited and gathered his courage to pop the question.

"You _are_ an honest man, Nicky," Sara smiled softly and leaned and pressed a soft kiss against his lips. When she pulled back she looked into the eyes of this man that she truly loved and found herself blinking back tears, "And I will marry you."

Nick let out a loud 'whoop' and pulled her into his arms peppering kisses against her cheek until he managed to find her lips again.

They stood there in the kitchen trading soft slow kisses, just relishing in the moment, until Sara pulled back with a serious expression on her face and looked directly into Nick's eyes, "I don't want to get married in Texas…and I certainly don't want to get married in Vegas." She didn't want Nick's family to run the show, which between his sisters and his mother they would no doubt try to do and she most certainly didn't want to get married on the Strip in some tacky wedding chapel; especially not to marry Nick.

"Ok, no Texas, no Vegas," Nick grinned, "How about the beach…just a few friends, my family, and us. We don't need anything big, we just need us." Of course they'd invite their friends from Vegas, but their life was here now, together and it seemed fitting that they'd tie the knot right here too.

"Yes, the beach sounds wonderful," Sara never thought that she would have been so happy to say yes to a question, but that question held so much promise to build on what they already had and she couldn't wait to see lay ahead.

_**The End**_

_**Author's Note:**_ Sorry to disappoint if you were hoping for more. But I hope you enjoyed the ride anyway. And to Ashley – I hope these last couple of chapters were enough to turn you into a pile of Ashley Goo.


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